Exclusive - Bepanah Pyaar actress Ishita Dutta on janta curfew due to covid-19: I am going to go on my balcony and clap hands for doctors

In the wake of novel coronavirus outbreak, the television artists just like any other responsible citizen are doing their best in self-isolating themselves and maintaining social-distance. It’s quite difficult for people who are used to travelling everyday to work to stay indoors. To know how the TV celebrities are utilising their time and what do they think of this pandemic and the janta curfew imposed on Sunday by PM Modi, ETimes TV exclusively spoke to Bepanah Pyaar actress Ishita Dutta. She spoke about how she is making the most of this time to sharpen her skills and also appreciated the doctors and people, who, even in such a crisis, are working non-stop for the welfare of the citizens. Read on... (By: Gayatri Nirmal)

We have self-isolated ourselves. It’s the fourth day that we haven’t gone out or met anyone. We haven’t met our own parents for their safety and ours. This is the most important thing and apart from that, if you are stepping out to buy groceries – we are wearing a mask and using hand sanitisers and come back home, wash your hands and take a shower if possible. So, these are a few basic things that we have been doing and of course following the news and current situation. (Photo: Instagram)

The reason also why we are self-isolating ourselves is that we were shooting just a couple of days back on March 16 in Delhi and Chandigarh. We did come across a lot of people because we were taking flights and travelling and shooting. So, on set, of course, there was a lot of sanitizer, unit was smaller than usual and people were taking precautions. Some of them were wearing masks. As actors, we couldn’t wear the mask. We were maintaining distance from everybody. Nobody shook hands and everybody was trying to be safe and constantly use sanitizer. So, these were the things I saw at least on the set that I was working on. (Photo: Instagram)

This is something that really annoys me that there are a lot of people who are still taking it lightly. I don’t know whether they are not following the news or whether they are thinking that they will not get it. We have seen in places like Italy, how it is happening and how it is spread so much. So many people are dying. It’s a request to all the people reading this and in general, anybody can get it. When the government is providing ‘work from home’ situation then don’t go out to meet your friends or don’t go for a drive and don’t go to meet people from your building. Isolation means complete isolation, so that you can minimize the spread because you don’t really know who has it, and the symptoms also really come out late. For the first six-seven days, you don’t even know if you have it or the people around you have it. Please be safe and try to avoid meeting people as much as possible unless necessary, and even if you’re going out, wash your hands, wear a mask and these are the things that are constantly being said and written on social media and just follow the news to actually know what is happening. (Photo: Instagram)

I have been painting, cooking, cleaning and arranging my house because I moved into my new apartment. We were constantly shooting and did not get the time to arrange things. So, this is the time, we are utilizing. What I am really excited about is that I am painting after a really long time. Watching TV, reading books – there’s so much that you can do while at home, and with social media, you are not really alone. This is the beauty of social media that even during self-isolation you can stay in touch with people through it. (Photo: Instagram)

People are always complaining that they don’t have the time and right now, you do have the time to spend with your family. I am using this time to learn something from YouTube. I am sharing some pictures on Instagram, and I hope I’ll share a beautiful painting soon. I am watching yoga videos and working out at home. (Photo: Instagram)

Social distancing is the key right now since we don’t have any medicine which is curing coronavirus. So, I think this is the solution and that’s why there is a ‘janta curfew’ on Sunday. It’s probably just a drill of what may happen if we don’t find a solution to this. We are also trying our best to spread awareness because there are a lot of people who don’t follow the news regularly. I hope people do follow ‘janta curfew’. (Photo: Instagram)

For a lot of people, it is difficult to isolate themselves because they have to go to work. So, it becomes a little tricky. Just a message for everyone – try your best in keeping yourself safe and the people around themselves safe. (Photo: Instagram)

I would really like to thank people who are working day and night to find a cure for this virus and all the doctors, nurses, people in the hospital to all the reporters and journalists, who are constantly updating us about what’s happening all over, the government officials and the people, who have to go out and deliver food to all of us. So, basically, all the people, who still have to go out and work, who cannot isolate themselves for our safety, thank you so much to all these people, they are our heroes and our working so hard. On Sunday, I am going to go on my balcony and clap my hands for them. I hope everybody does that also. (Photo: Instagram)